The emergence of multi-sensory experiences in the beauty market connects the product to the consumer in an increasingly engaging way. A connection between product and consumer encourages greater experimentation and builds an emotional bond to create deeper, more memorable experiences as consumers can get closer to their products through smell, touch and feel. Unusual textures, mood changing fragrances and interactive packaging offer strong ways to draw users closer to their products.

Sensory benefits are important to consumers when buying beauty and personal care products. For instance, 32% of Italian fragrance users are interested in fragrance that offers additional cooling or heating benefits when applied and 28% of German users are interested in bath or shower products with a warming effect on the skin. With unique experiences becoming an important purchase driver for consumers, more brands are leveraging multi-sensory experiences as a marketing tool.

 

Sensory experiences

Scent

Products that engage with the senses build a stronger connection with their users. European consumers have a high interest in sensory attributes of beauty products, with scent being at the top of the list. Even for products that are traditionally focused towards functionality; scent is always a key purchase driver. For instance, four in 10 German men who buy facial skincare think that scent is important when buying a facial skincare product.

Additionally, mood enhancement is a sensory innovation that is becoming increasingly popular. Nearly half of French fragrance users are interested in the concept of mood enhancing scents and a further 43% are interested in stress-relieving scents incorporated into products.

A good example of this trend is the Febreze Sleep Serenity air freshener range that features a scent with sleep enhancing benefits. Another example of this trend is the Neom Organics Tranquillity range which includes the ‘Scent to Sleep’ skin treatment candle, claiming a therapeutic scent with well-being benefits which relieve stress, calm and relax, aid sleep, boost energy and lift the mood.

 

Febreeze Sleep Serenity Hot Moonlight Lavender Bedside Diffuser and Milk & Honey Scented Chamber Spray

Neom Organics Scent to Sleep Tranquillity Intensive Skin Treatment Candle 

Texture

Scent is only one aspect of the product sensory experience; touch and feel is also an important factor of the product mix. Innovative textures include products which change consistency during used, change colour over time, feature heating and cooling benefits, or products that enhance experience upon application.

Consumers are making a clear link between sensory factors of a product and its functionality. Six in 10 UK female bodycare users think that a bodycare product is moisturising when it makes the skin soft to touch hours later. However men engage more with visual benefits, with 46% of UK male bodycare users thinking a product is most moisturising when it absorbs quickly.

Gel and jellies are interesting new textures that are increasingly popular in skincare and colour cosmetics, promising fresh and easy application with strong quenching claims, such as in BRTC Jelly Foundation.

Additionally, transforming textures offer innovative multi-sensory experience while combining several texture benefits within the same product such as in GlamGlow mud-to-oil cleansing mask based on delivering a multi-sensory cleansing experience.

 BRTC Jasmine 3D Jelly Foundation

  

GlamGlow – Mud to oil

Packaging

Packaging is the initial image the consumer gets from the product, but today packaging can be more than just a container and add functional elements to the product. Built-in applicators or an indicator that show when a product is running out drives significant consumer’s interest for 23% and 30% of UK consumers respectively.

Another multi-functional element that packaging can hold is the possibility to mix different parts of products to enable playful engagement, as well as enhancing the efficiency of the product. Nearly 8 in 10 US anti-ageing skincare users are interested in packaging kits that contain multiple products that can address more than one need.

Packaging can also be part of the product itself such as edible packaging or tactile packaging that reacts to human contact.

Recent packaging innovations include South Korean brand Chosungah22 introducing a new generation of cushion compact with Hidden Foundation, an innovative foundation that dispenses from the sponge. Products that can be mixed or made at home also create an engaging and playful element to the product. A good example is Chica y Chico Mask and Powder Kit that comes in a mask and powder form, which are mixed and blended to be used as a wash-off mask.

 Chosungah22 Hidden Foundation

 

 Chica y Chico Topping Star Mask & Powder Kit

 

Emmanuelle Moeglin is speaking at the ‘Experience is all – connecting products with consumers through multi-sensory experiences‘ Marketing Trends Presentation at in-cosmetics Asia on 4th November 2015, 15:00-15:45, Marketing Trends Theatre; and will be giving daily demonstrations of cutting edge multi-sensory products at the Innovation Zone

 

About Mintel

Mintel Beauty & Personal Care is the leading research service for the beauty industry, used by 3,000 brands globally. One of the trends we have recently identified is Experience is All, which investigates how brands are experimenting with textures, packaging and multi-sensory features to enhance the connection between the product and the consumer. Visit Mintel in the Innovation Zone at in-cosmetics Asia for a tour of some key products that show this trend in action and gain inspiration for your next big innovation.

For more information please contact us:

Americas: +1 (312) 932 0400, Europe: +44 (0)20 7778 7155, Asia: +86 (21) 63866609

beauty@mintel.com

www.mintel.com/beauty-personal-care